Food lovers are always excited to talk about the latest cooking trends.

What I find interesting, as someone who grew up speaking German, is that the word “trend” comes from an old Germanic word that means to turn or revolve. That implies food trends are often something old that feels new again because we haven’t seen or tasted it in a while and someone has reintroduced it with a fresh twist.

That’s certainly true of cupcakes. Small, individually portioned cakes have been around for at least two centuries, and every American grownup I know remembers them fondly from childhood.

But during the past several years, they’ve evolved to become the hottest bakeshop craze, with cupcake boutiques popping up everywhere and charging premium prices for rich, tender little cakes in a wide range of vivid flavors, topped with mountains of frosting.

I see the trend most dramatically in the many parties my team and I cater in Hollywood. A few years ago, the most famous stars wanted their
parties to end with creme brulee or molten chocolate cakes. Today, they request a variety of incredible cupcakes, and everyone at the party enjoys them with childlike smiles on their faces.

Maybe the trend this time owes something to the fact that all of us are looking for more comfort in our lives during uncertain times. And a personal portion of delicious, home-style cake with a gooey topping definitely falls under the category of comfort food.

One of the most comforting kinds of cupcakes I know is based on carrot cake, which itself has a history reflecting tough times.

Although carrots have been used for centuries in spice cakes to add sweetness and moisture, in modern times, carrot cakes first rose to prominence during World War II, when sugar was scarce.

Then, they became trendy in restaurants in the 1960s, especially with cream cheese frosting, and they’ve never really gone away since.

It’s easy to transform a traditional carrot cake batter into cupcakes. All you need is a standard cupcake or muffin tin with individual cups that have a 1/2-cup volume.

(Note: Be sure to grease the cups with nonstick spray or line them with pleated paper cupcake liners, available in the baking section of most markets, before you fill them.)

My recipe yields enough batter for 24 cupcakes, plenty for a great party, but you can divide the ingredients by a half or a quarter, if you like.

Feel free to play with the batter, too, adding small quantities of other ingredients, such as seedless raisins or drained chopped pineapple, that define carrot cake comfort and fun for you.

CARROT CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Makes 2 dozen

Cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

3/4 cup canola oil or peanut oil

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 pound carrots, finely shredded

2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

To prepare oven, pans: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat cups of 2 (12-cup) standard-sized muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray or line them with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.

To make cupcakes: In medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside. Put eggs in bowl of stand mixer or in large mixing bowl. Using stand mixer’s whisk attachment or hand-held electric mixer, beat eggs at high speed until frothy. Reduce speed to medium. Add oil in slow, steady stream until it is fully incorporated. Add sugar. Mix until well combined. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg-and-oil mixture just until moist batter forms. Add shredded carrots and nuts. Fold in just until evenly incorporated.

To make frosting: Put cream cheese and butter in clean stand-mixer bowl or in clean medium-sized mixing bowl. Using stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer, beat at medium speed just until cream cheese and butter are thoroughly combined and have smooth, spreadable consistency. Reduce speed to low. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Continue beating until thoroughly combined.

To frost cupcakes: Using icing spatula or table knife, spread frosting generously on cooled cupcakes. Serve or store in airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.

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